Resealable closure



United States Patent [72] Inventor Douglas W. Anderson 3,016,173 Stull Palatine, [11. 3,162,327 12/1964 Bennett [2]] Appl. No. 710,049 3,204,835 9/1965 Michel [22] Filed Mar. 4, 1968 3,259,233 7/1966 Beeman.. [45] Patented Dec. 22,1970 3,339,773 9/1967 Stull [73] Assignee Dave Chapman Goldsmith and Yamasaki, 3,366,289 1/1968 B d lnc. 3,378.172 4/1968 Nelson Chicago, 111. 2,162,712 6/1939 Hamberger a corporation of Delaware. a trust 3,314,564 4/1967 Andersen et a1. 3,335,890 8/1967 Grundmann et al.. 3,374,913 3/1968 Zipper [54] RESEALABLE CLOSURE FOREIGN PATENTS 3 Clams 4 Drawing 8 1,140,840 6/1966 Great Britain [52] US. Cl. 222/153, Primary Examiner koben B. Reeves [5 l] B Attorney-Fidler, Bradley, Patnaude & Lazo [50] Field of Search 222/153,

l5/42, 541, 3 ABSTRACT: A closure for sealing over an opening in a container including a nozzle sealed to the opening in the container [56] References Cited and a cover removably secured to the noule. The cover has an UNITED STATES PATENTS internally threaded cap portion and a locking portion for fix- 2,029,020 l/1936 Erhard 222/546 y n ng to the male The nozzle is molded ir ly 2,500,639 3/1950 Lermer,, 222/215 into the cover which has an area of weakness interposed 2,741,402 4/1956 Sayre 222/215 between the cap portion and the locking portion to permit 2 323 337 2 1953 H m 222/546 separation of the cap by unscrewing it from the nozzle.

4 2fli- 4 I I 1v 24 2 26 PATENTEUBEC22I97B 3549.053

Wi Tu. 24

- I/VVENTOR. DOUGLAS W ANDERSON RESEALABLE CLOSURE SPECIFICATION The present invention generally relates to a new and im proved closure construction and method of making it, which closure may be used as the sealing member and pouring spout of a flexible bag type of container, and the invention more particularly relates to such a closure construction which will provide a hermetic or aseptic seal for the contents of the associated container, and which may be used to reseal the container after it has once been opened.

Flexible bags formed of an impervious plastic film are used for sealably packaging various products including food stuffs in the form of liquids, semisolids and solids. This form of package has several advantages over other types of package now in use including its relatively low cost, convenience of use, and ease of storage before filling as well as after filling. A disadvantage which has heretofore been associated with the flexible bag package has, however, been the fact that no satisfactory means has been provided for resealing the contents of the bag after the bag has been opened. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a resealable closure for use with flexible bag containers thereby facilitating the use of such containers and, in addition, enabling the use of this type of package for many additional products.

In the packaging of nonrefrigerated foodstuffs it is ordinarily important that the contents of the package be sterilized and that the package be hermetically sealed to maintain such sterilization until the time the contents are to be used. Should the seal be broken prematurely, the contents are likely to be spoiled before actual use thereof. A resealable closure for such a package should, therefore, include some means for indicating when the closure has once been opened. Even in the case where nonsterilized products are packaged, it is also desirable to provide such an indicating'means to insure the purchaser or recipient of the package-that it has not previously been opened and part of the contents removed or otherwise tampered with. I

A principle object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a new and improved resealable closure.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a closure which is adapted for use with flexible bag type containers.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a closure with means for indicating when the closure has once been opened.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved resealable closure which may be used with flexible bag type containers, which provides a sterile seal for the contents of the container and which can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Briefly, the above and further objects are realized in accordance with the present invention by providing a closure which may be sealed over an opening in the plastic bag as, for example, by heat-sealing, and which includes a sealed cover portion which is partially removable from the closure to expose an access opening therein and which may be rescaled to the closure to again seal the contents of the container from the atmosphere. Preferably, the portion of the closure to which the flexible bag is sealed and which is hereinafter referred to as the finish or nozzle member is an injection molded part formed of plastic which is directly molded against the cover member in a manner such that a peripheral portion of the cover member is fixedly joined to the nozzle member while the removable portion of the cover is releasably joined to the nozzle member. A line of weakness is provided in the cover member between the releasable and nonreleasable portions whereby the cover must be broken apart along such line of weakness before the removable portion-can be disassembled from the nozzle member. t

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the releasable portion of the cover is' provided with an internal thread and during the molding of the nozzle member a mating external thread is, of course, formed therein directly in the recess provided by the internal thread in the cover. Moreover, the releasable portion of the cover has a reentrant central section which depends into the access opening or aperture in the nozzle member thereby to provide a hermetic seal between the cover and the noule member. The releasable portion of the member thus provides a cap which may be removed to gain access to the package merely by twisting it relative to the nozzle member and the nonreleasable portion of the cover which is secured thereto. The initial movement of the cover during twisting breaks the cover member into two parts and the cap portion is thereafter removed by continued twisting to screw it of the nozzle member.

Further objects and advantages and a better understanding of the present invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container or package embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the package of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the package of FIG. 1, including the closure member; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a package 10 including a tubular container portion 12 and a closure 14 sealed to the top of the tube 12. The tube 12 may be a flexible plastic member which is impervious to liquids, gases, and bacteria, and may be a polyethylene-Mylar-polyethylene laminated material. The tube 12 may incorporate a bottom portion which seals the lower end of the tube and which provides a support whereby the tube will stand upright. With such a construction for the tube 12, it will be understood that the closure 14 is not sealed over the upper opening in the tube until after the tube has been filled with the product to be packaged. If, on the other hand, the lower end of the tube 12 is merely closed as, for example, by heat-sealing the side walls thereof together, then the tube 12 may be sealed to the closure 14 before the package is filled. In any event, however, the closure 14 provides a cover and seal for the tube 12 to maintain the contents in a sterile condition if that be desired. It will be understood that the package 10 may be used for products which need not be sterilized.

The closure 14 includes an injection molded plastic member 16 to which the tube 12 is sealed as, for example, by heat-sealing or by any other suitable means, and a cover member 18 which is sealably secured to and over the member 16 when the closure is manufactured. As is more fully described hereinafter, the member 16 which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention may function as a pouring spout or finish for the container, is injection molded directly into the previously formed cover member 18 so as to have an external surface which conforms in part to the internal surface of the cover member 18. The cover member L8 has an annular lower peripheral or locking portion 17 which is fixed to the nozzle member 16 and a removable cap portion 19 which connects to the nonremovable peripheral portion along an annular line of weakness 20. A plurality of grooves 21 are provided in the outer surface of the cap 19 to facilitate gripping thereof to twist the cap portion 19 relative to the nozzle member 16 and the nonreleasable portion of the cover 18 which is secured thereto to separate the cap 19 so that it may be removed to expose and access opening in the nozzle 16 whereby the contents of the package 10 may be removed.

For a better understanding of the'manner in which the closure 14 is constructed, reference is made to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. As there shown, the nozzle member 16, which provides the finish for the container, has a depending annular flange portion 22 which fits within the opening in the upper end of the tube 12 and to which the tube may be heat-sealed by localized heating of the adjoining parts of the tube 12 and the flange 22 along an annular area 23 continuously surrounding the flange 22 and the upper portion of the tube 12. As indicated hereinbefore, the closure may be sealed to the tube 12 either before or after the'tube 12 had been filled with the product to be packaged.

The nozzle member 16 is, as noted hereinbefore, an integral member molded of plasticand it includes an annular enlargement or ring 24 which has a downwardly facing annular shoulder 26 which functions as an abutment to facilitate assembly of the tube 12 to the nozzle member. The annular enlargement 24 also functions to rigidize the nozzle member and to provide a portion which may be readily grasped to twist the cap relative thereto.

An annular groove 28 is formed in the nozzle member 16 when it is molded over the lower peripheral portion 17 of the cover member 18. It hasbeen found that the molding of the nozzle member 16 around the lower peripheral portion 17 provides a sufiiciently tight connection between the cover member 18 and thenoule 16 to prevent disassembly of the peripheral portion 17 therefrom without obvious damage to one or the other of these'parts. However, if it is found necessary for a particular application to provide a greater bond between the nozzle member 18 and the cover portion 17, the

peripheral portion 17 may be provided with a plurality of vertical notches or serrations into which the nozzle is molded, thereby to provide interlocking ribs which prevent relative rotation between the peripheral portion 17 and the nozzle member 16. The nozzle member 16 has a horizontal ledge 32,

- which serves as a stop for the cap portion 19 of the cover when it is replaced on the nozzle member, and a tubular portion 34 which defines an access opening or aperture 36 for removal of the product from the container. On the exterior of the tubular portion 34, there is-molded a thread 38 located in an internal thread in the internal wall of the removable cap portion 19 of the cover member 18.

The cover member 18 is nonreleasably secured to the nozzle member 16 only at the area of the peripheral portion 17. ln

order to permit removal of the cap portion '19 from the nozzle member 16, the line of weakness 20 is provided in the cover x member 18 between the removable cap portion 19 and the nonremovable peripheral portion 17. This line of weakness 20 may be provided by a'continuous V-shaped groove provided in the outer surface of the cover member immediately adjacent the removable cap portion 19 as shown. Accordingly, when the cap portion 19 is twisted relative to the nozzle member 16 and the peripheral portion 17, the cover breaks along the line of weakness 20 so that the cap 19 may be unscrewed from the nozzle member 16. Depending on the strength of the material from which the cover 18 is made, it may be desirable to provide a plurality of perforations or slots J 26 which extend completely or at least substantially through the cover member 18 along the groove 20 as best shown in FIG. 3. It will be apparent that by inspection of the cover it can be seen whether or not the cap member 19 has been removed from the nozzle member 16. When the perforations 26 are provided, it is particularly desirable that the cover member 18 include a depending cen- EI tral portion 52 which extends a sufficient distance into the f mouth of the nozzle member 16 to insure a seal between the cap 19 and the nozzle member. The depending portion 52 further provides such a seal when the cap 19 is replaced on the "nozzle member 16 after having once been removed. Depend- :5 ing upon the materials from whichthe noule member 16 and the cover member are formed, the depth to which the portion 18 extends into the nozzle member 16 must be such as to permit separation of the cap 19 from the nozzle member 16 in this 1 area. Various techniques may be used for this purpose such as rounding the corners in the groove 54 formed in the cover 18,

' "j or locally applying a'releasing agent to the groove 54 before the nozzle member 16 is molded therein.

In order to economically manufacture the closure 14, the cover member 18 may be first formed of plastic in an injection peripheral portion 17 of the cover is moved into place and the nozzle member 16 is then injection molded between this male mold member and the cover member 18. The cover member a 18 thus functions as a portion of the mold during the injection molding of the nozzle member 16. In this manner, the nozzle 16 is made to conform to the inner surface of the cover member 18 'except'for the inner face of the-depending portion 52 which is covered by the male mold member. Hence, the thread 38 is moldedtherein ininterfitting relationship with the threads on the cap 19'and a hermetic and aseptic seal is provided at this time by the upper marginal end of the nozzle member 16 which tightly fits into the groove 54. This sterile seal of the outer surface of the nozzle 16 is automatically accomplished by virtue of the fact that the plastic is relatively hot, being of the order of 250350 F., whenit is injection molded between the male mold member and the cover member 18. Since a seal is provided at this time between the cover member 18 and the nozzle member 16 and such a seal remains intact until the cap 19 is removed, no further sterilizahigh density or linear polyethylene. The nozzle member 16 should be formed of plastic so as to be injection moldable directly against the surfaces of the cover member 18 and the plastic chosen for the nozzle 16 should have a melting point substantially lower than the melting point of the material from 'which the cover member 18 is formed so that the nozzle member 16 does not form a bond with the cap 19 which would otherwise prevent removal of the cap portion 19 therefrom. Where the cover 18 is formed of metal, most plastics can be used to form the nozzle member 16. Where the cover member 18 is polyethylene, the nozzle member 16 may be fonned of vinyl or a vinyl compound such as ethylvinylacetate sold by E. l. duPont de Nemours & Co., under the trade name, E.V.A.

l claim:

1. A resealable closure for use with an associated container,

the combination comprising:

a cover member formed of a single piece of rigid material and having a removable cap portion having securing means on the internal surface thereof and an integral locking portion depending below said cap portion and connected thereto by a frangible portion;

an apertured nozzle member formed of plastic and having a portion extending into said cap portion and having securing means on the external surface thereof interlocking with said securing means on said cap portion;

the adjacent surfaces of said cap portion and said nozzle being of substantially precise complementary shape so that the entire mutually facing surfaces of said nozzle and cap portion are in substantial mutual contact and provide an aseptic seal therebetween;

said nozzle member having a portion extending below said cover member and having a recess therein into which said locking portion of said cover member extends in tight interfitting relationship, with said locking portion completely filling said recess so as to fixedly secure said locking portion to said nozzle member independently of said cap portion;

whereby said nozzle member may be molded into said cover member to embed said locking portion in said nozzle member during the molding of said nozzle member.

2. A resealable closure as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

both said cover member and said nozzle member are formed of plastic;

annular groove surrounding said removable cap portion, and

a plurality of spaced perforations disposed in said cover member along said groove, whereby the thickness of said cover member between said perforations is less than the thickness of said cover member in the other areas adjacent thereto. 

